Fluid-actuated alarm.



G. R. W. ROBERTS & H. H. SEBLY.

' FLUID AGTUATED ALARM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1913.

1,083,299, Patented'Jan. 6, 1914.

WITNESSES: IN VE/V T085 A TTOR/VEY COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHINUTON.n. c.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORG R. W. ROB- nR'rsand HARRY HooPEs SEELY, citizens of the United States, residing atAlameda, in

the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Fluid-Actuated Alarms, of which the followingis a specification.

, Our invention relates to that class of fluid-actuated alarms in whichthe delivery of the fluid, both as to time and duration, is under theimmediate control of the operator, thereby adapting them for use onstreet railway carsand electric trains.

Our present invention more particularly relates to that fluid-actuatedgongfor which we have been granted Letters Patent No. 1,047,706, datedDecember 17 1912. In that device the actuatin flui through a singlenozzle and is controlled" by a single valve which is, in itsbest form,operated by a foot-pedal. This results in a more or less leisurelyinitiation of the alarm and its uniform continuance.

The object of our present invention is to provide for a quick andperemptory start, anda subsequent continuance of gentler quality. Thecontinuance may be either "uniform, or varied in intensity to produce Ia pulsating alarm,with rising and falling inflection, thereby adding'tothe effect and value of the notice given.

A further object of our invention is to economize the fluid necessary tooperate the alarm, V

To these ends our invention consists inthe novel fluid-actuated alarmand the novel construction of its controls, which we shall companyingdrawings, in which- Figure l is a front elevation of our device, brokenand partly in section. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same in elevation.

l is a portion of the supporting structure,

which may be considered as the platform of a car.

2 is a bracket bolted to the platform, said bracket carrying the device.

The sound producing portion of the device may be of any suitable nature.For illustration we here show it as comprising a gong 3, a striker 4, ashaft 5 carrying the striker, and an impact wheel 6 on the shaft.

7 is the primary fluid conduit, which at one terminal communicates withthe primary nozzle 8, the tip of which is in proper now fully describeby reference to the ac- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 18, 1913.

is delivered" the stem UNITED STATES EATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. W. ROBERTS AND HARRY HOOIPES SEELY, 0F ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA.

FLUID-ACTUATED ALARM.

Patented Jan. 6, 1914.. Serial No. 749,166.

relation to the impact wheel 6 to drive said wheel by the impingementthereon of the delivered fluid; and at its otheinterminal said primaryconduit communicates with the inlet chamber 9, with which the inlet pipe10 from the fluid-source communicates. The communication between theinlet chamber 9 and the primary conduit 7 is controlled by a valve 11within said chamber, said valve being normally held toits seat by aspring 12. The valve 11 has an uprising stem 13, the top of. which isbest provided with a cap 14, said cap being in contact with the lowerend of a stem 15 of a foot pedal 16 mounted in the carplatform 1.

The communication of the primary conduit L with th primary nozzle 8 iscontrolled by an automatic pressurevalve 17, 18 of which is carried by apiston 19, slidable in a cylinder 20. The piston is exposed at its frontend to the primary conduit 7 and is held forward, to keep the valve 17normally closed, by a sprin'g 21. In the upper wall of the cylinder ismade a passage 22 which leads from the primary conduit 7 in advance ofthe valve 17 back into a chainber 23 in the rear end of the cylinder.The inner end of the piston 19 is exposed to said chamber. In the lowerwall of the cylinder is made a passage 24 which leads from the cylinderbore in the path of movement of the piston, forward to and communicateswith the secondary nozzle 25, also adapted to deliver the fiuid upon theimpact wheel 6. It will be seen that the passage 22, chamber 23 andpassage 24 form a secondary fluid-conduit from the primary conduit tothe secondary nozzle 25. p

The operation is as follows: When the pedal 16 is pressed and held down,the valve 11 is opened, and the actuating fluidpasses into the primaryconduit 7 with full volume and pressure. The immediate effect of thispressure, acting upon the exposed forward end of the piston 19 is toforce said piston back, thereby withdrawing the valve 17 from its seatand opening the communication to the primary nozzle 8. Tith this fullvolume of fluid the impact wheel is given a quick start resulting in aperemptory initial warning produced by the striker 4 on the gong 3. Itwill be noted that this backward movement of the piston 19 causes saidpiston to cover and close the lower passage 24 opening from the cylinderbore to the secondary nozzle 25. A part of the fluid from the mainconduit 1 through the upper passage 22 of the cylinder passes into thecylinder chamber 23 and as soon as the pressure in this chamberaccumulates to a point where the pressure in front and behind the piston19 is equal,"

the spring 21 will move said piston forward with the result of closingthe valve 17 on its seat. This cuts olf the fluid pressure through theprimary nozzle 8, and thereupon the piston by its forward movementhaving opened the lower passage 24, the fluid will flow from the primaryconduit 7 through the secondary conduit formed by the" upper passage 22,cylinder chamber 23, the lower passage 24, to the secondary nozzle 25,and thereafter the alarm will be operated by this nozzle. This lastoperation may be uniformly continuous and of gentler quality, or, ifdesired, the operator may by successive footpressures and releases onthe pedal 16 cause'airapid succession of the whole operation bothprimary and secondary, thereby producing a pulsating alarm withincreased and diminished cadence. "When the operator finally releasesthe pedal, the parts return to normal quiescence. It will readily beseen 'thatby this arrangement; there may be great saving in the amountof fluid necessary to operate the alarm.

I/Ve claim 1. In a fluid-actuated alarm, the combi nation of an alarmdevice operated by fluid pressure; a primary fluid connection to operatesaid alarm device; a valve for controlling said primary fluid connectionat the'will of the operator; a secondary fluid connection to operatesaid alarmdevice, said secondary fluid connection communicating with theprimary fluid connection at a point between the valve and the outlet ofsaid latter connection; and pressure-operated means disposed tosimultaneously close the secondary connection and open the primaryconnection and vice versa.

2. In a fluid-actuated alarm, the combination of an alarm deviceoperated by fluid pressure; a primary fluid-nozzle and a primaryfluid-connection serving said nozzle to initiate the operation of saidalarm device; a valve for controlling said primary connection; meansunder the control of the operator for operating said valve; a secondaryfluid-nozzle and a secondary fluid con nection serving said nozzle andcommunieating with the primary fluid connection between its nozzle andvalve for continuing Copies of this patent may be obtained for flowingthe operation of said alarm device; and pressure-operated means disposedto simultaneously close the secondary connection and open the primaryconnection and vice versa.

3. In a fluid-actuated alarm, the combination of an alarm deviceoperated by fluid pressure; a primary fluid-connection to initiate theoperation of said alarm device; a valve for controlling said primaryconnection; means under the control ofthe operator for operating saidvalve; a secondary fluid connection communicating with the primaryconnection between its valve and outlet for continuing the operation ofsaid alarm device; a second Valve cont-rolling the primary connectionbeyond the communication of the two fluid connections; and a springcontrolled piston carrying. said second valve, exposed at opposite endsto the primary and secondary fluid-connections said piston beingdisposed to simultaneously close the secondary connection and open thesecond valve of the primary connection and vice versa. V

4. In afluid-actuated alarm, the combination of an alarm device operatedby fluid pressure; a primary fluid no-zzle to initiate the operation ofsaid alarm device; a primary fluid-connection from a fluid source tosaid primary nozzle; a valve under the chntrol of the operator tocontrol the admission of the fluid to said primary connection; asecondary fluid-nozzlefto continue the operation of saidalarm device; asecondary fluid -connectiorr communicating with the primaryfluid-connection between 95 its nozzle and valve and with the secondaryGEORGE It. W; ROBERTS. HARRY I-IOOPES SEELY.

\Vitnesses WM. F. Boorrr,

five cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. G.

D. B. RICHARDS.

Commissioner of Patents fluid-nozzle; asecond valve controlling them;

